39A not extracting

bfm · Post by **bfm** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:13 pm

Just got it used. Previous owner had done some slightly questionably smithing to it. He tried to bevel the lever arm, but didn't smooth it out. But damage was not too bad. On a different note, the extractor looks in good shape and the bore is clean, but about one in four shots fails to extract. Any suggestions, or just order a new extractor?

Thanks

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:33 pm

The first response to an episodic malfunction is to clean the area good. Clean the extractor with a good solvent and a tooth pick. Clean around the rear end of the chamber as well.

If everything is clean, look for burrs in the extractor. If you fine any stone them off.

If those things don't do the job, order a new extractor.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:47 pm

Make sure the screw is good and snug...loctite if necessary.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:15 pm

The really cool part of the M39 is that you can break it way down for cleaning. Make sure you use the instructions and break down the receiver as well so everything gets really clean. bad extraction might be why you got it.

Rusty <><

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:21 pm

Depends on when it was made, but it might be a weak spring on the extractor. Early ones had a two piece spring/extractor, while later used a stamped spring shaped to extract. Either way it can weaken, even if the hook at the end still grabs the case. The weak sprng allows it to jump over the rim before it gets extracted.
Be sure to know what type you have before ordering a new extractor!

Ram Hammer · Post by **Ram Hammer** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:48 pm

When I bought my first 39 back in about '76, it failed to extract most of the time. I had purchased it off the rack at a local discount store. Apparently it had been dry fired frequently and had the edge of the chamber peened just enough to interfere with extraction. A quick trip to the gunsmith, covered under factory warranty and I was in business. All they had to do was run a chamber reamer in there and clean it up.

Good luck.

El Chivo · Post by **El Chivo** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:21 am

Mine's in the shop for that very reason, it's been happening since I got it. Clean or dirty it's about the same. I changed the extractor and some improvement, but I told the gunsmith I suspect some sort of roughness in the chamber, because the shells seem stuck in there.

Many of the shells that were stuck look misshapen by the firing pin, I wonder if the pin smashes them against the mouth of the chamber. But the gunsmith is going to measure the chamber and take a look at it.

Noah Zark · Post by **Noah Zark** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:27 am

Charles wrote: The first response to an episodic malfunction is to clean the area good. Clean the extractor with a good solvent and a tooth pick. Clean around the rear end of the chamber as well.

marlinman93 wrote:Depends on when it was made, but it might be a weak spring on the extractor. Early ones had a two piece spring/extractor, while later used a stamped spring shaped to extract. Either way it can weaken, even if the hook at the end still grabs the case. The weak sprng allows it to jump over the rim before it gets extracted.
Be sure to know what type you have before ordering a new extractor!

Ram Hammer wrote: When I bought my first 39 back in about '76, it failed to extract most of the time. I had purchased it off the rack at a local discount store. Apparently it had been dry fired frequently and had the edge of the chamber peened just enough to interfere with extraction. A quick trip to the gunsmith, covered under factory warranty and I was in business. All they had to do was run a chamber reamer in there and clean it up.

A big +1 to all three quoted posts. When a Marlin 39 doesn't extract, the cause is likely one of the three pointed out in those posts.

Noah

bfm · Post by **bfm** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:54 am

sobenk wrote:Many of the shells that were stuck look misshapen by the firing pin, I wonder if the pin smashes them against the mouth of the chamber.

Mine are that way too.

Not sure of the exact year, but it is presafety and has a two piece extractor. I had it pretty well apart for a cleaning.

chuckles · Post by **chuckles** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:03 pm

Kind of a long shot here, (levergun pun!), but you might check to see if the cartridge guide spring is catching and hanging up the fired case. It is the flat spring above the chamber that guides the cartridge into the chamber. If they get bent down they can catch.

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:20 pm

chuckles wrote:Kind of a long shot here, (levergun pun!), but you might check to see if the cartridge guide spring is catching and hanging up the fired case. It is the flat spring above the chamber that guides the cartridge into the chamber. If they get bent down they can catch.

Happened to me about 6 months ago. Replaced the guide, all is well.

bfm · Post by **bfm** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:06 am

chuckles wrote:Kind of a long shot here, (levergun pun!), but you might check to see if the cartridge guide spring is catching and hanging up the fired case. It is the flat spring above the chamber that guides the cartridge into the chamber. If they get bent down they can catch.

Thanks. WIll check that tonight.

bfm · Post by **bfm** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:10 pm

chuckles wrote:Kind of a long shot here, (levergun pun!), but you might check to see if the cartridge guide spring is catching and hanging up the fired case. It is the flat spring above the chamber that guides the cartridge into the chamber. If they get bent down they can catch.

Looks like that may be it. Now I just need a new one.

Thanks.

GEOFF · Post by **GEOFF** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:20 pm

I appreciate the suggestions above!

My 1897Texan has quite a few thousands of rounds thru it and it began to fail to extract all of a sudden.

Sure enough you could see where the hook on the extractor had broken off. So I bought a new extractor from Marlin and it didn't work too well. So I bought another extractor and while better still say 1 out of 10 would fail to extract.

Like was mentioned above it was almost like a dirty sticky chamber was causing my grief. I tried STANDARD VELOCITY ammo and NO PROBLEMS. I tried different lots of CCI mini mag ammo and extraction problems continued with all of that as well as Remington and Winchester.

So I cleaned the chamber AGAIN this time letting KROIL soak in there for a couple of hours. More black stuff DID come out. Extraction is better now but the jury is still out.

Thanks again for the comments above. Good question and good posts!!

Geoff